The Hanyou's Hallow Tree
by Sneakers6
Summary: InuYasha and Kagome are separated from the others by a raging forest fire. Something happens to awaken his youkai and he flees the fire with Kagome in tow, taking her to his most precious secret: a hollowed out tree he uses as a bunker. Kagome needs to find Tessaiga, but is unwilling to leave the sweet demon that saved her. How could she when he sets her blood on fire?


**Author's Note:**

**I do not own InuYasha : (**

**Thank you for all the reviews on my previous one-shot: **_**Undisclosed Desires**_**. Some of you might be disappointed to hear that I won't be writing a second chapter and I apologize for that. I just couldn't think of a solid plot line and instead decided to start a new project, thus: **_**The Hanyou's Hallow Tree**_**.**

The Hanyou's Hallow Tree

Chapter 1: Gone up in smoke

The air was thick with humidity, stuffy even and hard to breath. Kagome stopped walking to take a deep breath through her nose. The air burned her sinuses, but she felt a little better, regaining her normal breathing rhythm. She bent over, placing her hands on her knees and kept up the deep breaths. A warm hand landed on her shoulder and she looked up into the face of her worried friend.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Sango asked while wiping a bead of sweat from her eyebrow. Sango was dressed in her civilian clothes with Hiraikotsu strapped across her shoulders. Even the demon slayer noticed that something was different about this area.

"I'm fine, just a little out- of breath." Kagome huffed and stood up.

InuYasha and Miroku caught up to them, seeing as they had been walking a few feet behind them for safety. Miroku's hair stuck to the base of his neck and his cheeks were flushed from the unnatural heat. InuYasha's hair was tied back with a leather band that Kagome had given him a few miles back. His haori was tied around his waist and his nagajuban was rolled up at the sleeves. Kagome blushed and stared down again. Hopefully he'd pass it off as a symptom brought on by the heat and not as her unexplainable attraction to him. O Kami, the way that bead of sweat slowly made its way down the side of his temple and the way his arms flexed when he moved to wipe it away.

_Focus Higurashi!_

Shippou and Kirara were walking ahead, but from her view point she could see that Kirara was struggling, her shoulders sagging and Shippou had been complaining about the heat for a while now.

"We need to get out of this area, something's wrong." InuYasha seethed with his nose in the air, sniffing. His human companions couldn't smell it, but he could and the scent of ash and demon blood burned his nose.

"But we need to find shelter for the evening. It is close to sunset and-." Miroku drabbled on, but Kagome stopped listening as soon as she felt that all too familiar feeling pulsing throughout her body. Her reiki flared and surged forward with a new found energy.

"There are shards nearby." She stated and kept walking forward, her jeans were chafing her thighs from the heat and dry air, but she didn't care.

The others stopped talking and stared after her for a breath before following her. InuYasha grabbed hold of her arm to stop her.

"No, you stay here. I'll go." He ordered and kept on walking, muttering a 'stupid bitch'. Kagome sighed and mumbled two words.

"Sit boy."

"Shit." InuYasha met the ground face first and growled. "What'cha do that for?!" Kagome walked to his side the others staying close by and scouting the area with their eyes. Sure it was very irresponsible of her to sit him at a time like this, but she had had enough for one day. Since they had woken up that morning he'd been edgy and meaner than usual. He had called her 'wench' and 'bitch' far too often. He teased her about her slowness and her humanness. And now he ordered her to stay behind, when she was the only one who could locate the jewels?

This was irregular behavior from her hanyou; she expected such snappiness only when it was close to a new moon. Trouble was the previous new moon had passed three nights before.

"InuYasha, I don't want to fight with you right now, please just-."

"Help!" They all looked up at the figure running up the road towards them. It was a human girl no older than ten years maybe. Kirara and Shippou hightailed it back to the group, Shippou lunging himself into Kagome's protective arms.

InuYasha grunted and got up off the ground, but kept low on all fours. He glared daggers at Kagome, but she just ignored him.

They turned their attention back to the girl, whom had made it to the group, bent over and coughing. Kagome noticed that the girl's kimono was blue, but had black smoke smudges and that she smelled equally as bad.

"Please…" Cough, "… Taijiya…" cough, "…please help." The girl fell to her knees before them. Sango lunged forward and caught the girl in her arms.

"What happened?" she asked the girl.

"A Fire-Youkai attacked my village a few miles from here. It…" cough, "…set the forest on fire." Kagome kneeled beside Sango and reached into her back pack for her water. She handed it to Sango, who helped the girl drink.

"InuYasha?"

"What?" The hanyou turned to the monk.

"Is that what you felt earlier? The dark aura?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah and it's a strong one." Miroku nodded and stared pointedly at Sango who nodded.

"Kirara, let's go." She commanded the little cat demon who immediately transformed into her bigger form.

"Kagome, you and InuYasha go ahead, we will catch up." Miroku said as he took the girl from Sango's arms. InuYasha kneeled before Kagome without protest and she gladly accepted the offer. After settling into her familiar position, he took off at full speed, following the girl's scent.

"Shippou, I need you to stay here with her. Can you do that?" Sango asked the little kitsune after she had dressed into her battle suite. The boy looked up at her with determination, puffing out his chest.

"Yes Sango." She smiled and ruffled his hair.

"We will come back for you, keep off the road and keep safe." She said as she straddled Kirara. Miroku handed the water bottle to Shippou and got behind Sango, securing his staff in front of her waist.

"Let's go Kirara!" As the cat took flight to follow the others the smell of burning wood grew stronger, so strong that Sango had to pull her poison mask over her mouth and nose. Miroku covered his with his sleeve. The burning scent of wood soon disappeared and was replaced with the smell of death, burning flesh. It was thick and retching. The sky had turned from late after-noon to a dark cloud of smoke. Miroku pointed to the village below, smoking rising from the huts. The village was situated dangerously close to the forest.

Kirara spotted InuYasha and Kagome standing back to back. She landed close to them and her passengers sprung off, raising their weapons in defense. Kagome had her bow in hand, ready to pull a purified arrow at any second. InuYasha was sniffing for the demon.

"He's deeper in the forest, I smell the villagers there too." He told them and took off into the thick brush of trees. They followed him and stumbled into a little meadow. The youkai was there, a tall dark menacing figure with hands that were ablaze. A few elder villagers were crouched before him, the women crying.

"Hey, ugly!" InuYasha called out, pulling Tessaiga from his sash. The youkai turned around and laughed.

"A hanyou come to fight me?" He sneered, "Be gone half breed, before I eat you." He warned.

"The only one who's gonna get eaten is you!" InuYasha yelled and sprung forward to fight the youkai. Sango and Kirara joined him while Kagome and Miroku ran to help the villagers. They led the villagers out of the burning forest.

"Kimi! Kimi!" A woman called out, refusing to follow the other villagers.

"Mam, did your daughter perhaps wear a blue kimono, the last time you saw her?" Miroku asked, gripping her shoulders.

"Yes dear monk! Do you know where my Kimi is?" Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her lips trembled. Kagome heard the battle noise and hurried back to her friends and the youkai.

"Yes, she is safe, please get to safety, we will follow soon after." He urged her on. She hesitated, but nodded and ran for her camp.

Kirara suddenly sailed through the air and hit a tree with a hiss. She slumped to the ground with a growl.

"Miroku! Pull up your sutra charms!" Sango called from the battle. The demon huntress and the hanyou had surrounded the fire-youkai and were drawing closer to him.

Miroku got to work on the charms while Kagome concentrated on the youkai.

_Where are they?_

Suddenly, like a bright beacon she saw the jewel shards nestled into his chest.

"InuYasha! His chest, the right side!" She yelled at him. He nodded and lunged forward, but before he could cut the youkai, it flung him back with his claws. InuYasha was flung into a tree. Kagome rushed to his side.

"InuYasha!" He groaned while trying to sit up. His stomach had four deep slashes, the blood was gushing out and she bit back a sob. He was having a bad day.

"Get out of here Kagome!" He pushed at her shoulder, trying to cover her with his body, but she refused to move.

"Demon, return to your realm and leave here in peace." Miroku chanted. The youkai only laughed harder and turned its attention on Miroku.

"Monk, I know the future. I know your future." He whispered, locking eyes with Miroku, seeing into his soul.

"Miroku, don't listen to him." Sango called desperately.

"I could give you a preview?" The youkai's voice grew impossibly sweet and almost song like. Hypnotizing.

"Look at me Miroku!" She urged him. Miroku didn't seem to hear her as he stepped closer to the youkai under his spell. They wouldn't be able to catch his attention and Sango swallowed as she thought of the only possible solution to save him. She let out a desperate shriek as she flung her Hiraikotsu at Miroku. It hit him hard, but it saved him from the youkai's clutches. She nearly crumbled to her knees when Miroku hit the ground with a thump his head echoed with a sickening-cracking sound.

"Ah, young love. You were willing to hurt him, to save him? Such courage…for a human." He chuckled darkly.

"Sango! Don't listen to him! Get Miroku!" Kagome yelled from her spot next to an injured InuYasha. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He growled with a wince.

"I once had a love. She died many years ago and the bitter taste of a lost love is the only thing that sustains me these days."

"You're sick!" InuYasha yelled back, getting to his feet and raising his weapon. Kagome noticed the look in his eyes. That determined look he had whenever he thought of Kikyo's fate and the trap that Naraku had set for them. She swallowed. Now was not the time to think about that!

"InuYasha, don't use Wind Scar, it'll kill them!" She pointed to her friends who were on the other side of the youkai.

The trees cracked from the fire that was slowly spreading throughout the forest and the smoke was starting to thicken. Kagome's throat was dry and she felt like choking on the fumes.

InuYasha grunted, but realized that she was right. Instead he moved into action ready to slice the youkai. It grabbed him by the throat and wrenched Tessaiga from his grip. The youkai shook his head and tsked the hanyou.

"Half breeds are always so foolish." He muttered and flung him back. InuYasha hit a tree again. But didn't get up this time. Sango flung her Hiraikotsu at the youkai, just as Kagome pulled up her bow. Her reiki flared and formed an arrow. The sight of InuYasha and Miroku, slumped and lifeless urged that familiar pink glow to surround her. She spoke those three words with strength and conviction.

"Hit your target." She let go of the arrow and it pierced the air without a sound, embedding itself in to the demon's chest. It looked up at her with its eyebrows mockingly raised.

"You think a mere arrow would do damage-." The purified arrow sizzled and his flesh turned into ash. There was no time for it to scream as it crumbled into a blazing pile of ash. The fire spread high and wide across the clearing, separating her from Sango and Miroku.

"Kagome!"

"Go! We'll be fine!" She called back. She could barely see them, but knew they'd wait for her on the other side of the village or return to Kaede's. She rushed to InuYasha's side once again and shook him.

"InuYasha! Wake up; we need to get out of here!" He groaned and opened his eyes to a burning fire and a fearful Kagome.

InuYasha sat up and stared around, searching for the youkai. He was a little dazed and confused. It only lasted a second as he smelled the burning forest and accidently breathed a little too deeply. His stomach ached and stung from the claw marks. His back must've been bruised as a stinging pain shot through him.

"He's dead, but we need to get out of here. Now!" Kagome pulled on his arm. He nodded and just followed her. Everything around them was on fire and they both noticed that they were engulfed by the flames. They could barely see the sky above them. InuYasha reached for his haori and covered Kagome with the fire rat cloth.

"No, you need this!" She protested, but he stopped her.

"Shut up and keep it on. I'm not gonna let you burn!" He urged her and she finally nodded. She slung her back pack over her shoulders. InuYasha was about to lift her out of the fire, when he noticed something. Something dark and dominant stirred beneath his skin.

His youkai was close to the surface and he wanted out. InuYasha reached for Tessaiga, only to find that it was missing. _Damnit!_

"Wait here. I need to get Tessaiga." He told her and turned around, ready to jump into the fire for his sword. But a snap stopped him. He turned around fast and saw the tree behind Kagome. It stood suspended in the air for a second before it pummeled forward, toward her.

"Kagome!" He roared, lunging for her. He pushed her out of the way, but it was too late to save himself. The tree came down hard, crushing him beneath it, breaking his ribs, spine and probably his legs. He wailed in pain – not that he'd admit it- and dark spots clouded his vision.

"Ka-." Her name died on his lips as his eyes closed and he stopped breathing.

Kagome groaned in pain, her wrists had grass burns and so did the side of her face. Blood was slowly making its way down her temple and into her line of sight. She looked up from the dirt and coughed. Her sides ached from InuYasha roughly pushing her out of the way.

_InuYasha! _

She scrabbled to her feet and turned around. Her blood froze; the heat from the fire unable to make her move. InuYasha was pinned beneath the tree and he wasn't moving.

"InuYasha?" She whispered. Time seemed to stop, she wasn't sure what to do, her body frozen. It didn't last long as she hurried to his side and bent her ear to his mouth. Blood welled at the corners and dripped down his chin.

"Oh, Kami." She whimpered. He wasn't breathing! His ears weren't even moving and they usually did when he was asleep. She placed her hands over his chest and started to count and pump. Count and pump.

"Come on! Please!" She screamed, tears pouring down her cheeks. He still didn't move! She was so desperate, her blood pumping furiously through her veins, her heart clenched painfully. She placed her mouth over his, tasting his blood on her tongue, trying to breathe life into him.

"Don't die!" Her voice broke. "Please! I love you! You can't die!" She screamed heartbrokenly and started to pound his chest with her fists. He couldn't die! She had so much she needed to tell him! She couldn't imagine living life without him. Not knowing what it would feel like to have him kissing her, to hold her…

She brought her fist high above her head and brought it down, hard across his chest. He gasped and coughed the blood out of his lungs. She stopped her eyes wide and placed her ear above his lips. His breathing – shallow- had returned, but he hadn't woken up yet. She cried in relieve, but didn't waste any time. She cried in relieve, but didn't waste any time. She needed to find a way to free him. She knew his body was repairing itself and that she needed to free him somehow. She stared around her and found a rather thick log. She grabbed it and got to her feet. She plunged the log's point beneath the tree to try and hoist it up, all the time struggling to breath. The log snapped and she lost her balance falling over the fallen tree. She scraped her knee in the process and cried out as she got to her feet and stumbled over the fallen tree. It was hopeless! She wasn't strong enough to lift the tree and the fire was growing rapidly causing her to double over and cough loudly, struggling for breath. More trees kept falling around them and the heat grew impossibly thick. Everything was too loud and at the same time silent. Between the cracking of branches, fire and the booming sound of trees falling, Kagome struggled to hear her own breathing.

She crawled over to InuYasha and fell into his chest, gripping his shoulders tightly, making sure to dig her nails deep into his flesh. No way was she parting with him now. Or ever.

"I won't leave your side. I promise." She was slowly losing consciousness. "I love you always InuYasha." She whispered the last part, before her eyes closed and lost consciousness.

**PS Author's Note:**

** I apologize about the made up 'Fire-Youkai'. I don't know anything about Japanese Folklore…but that's the beauty of Fan Fiction! You can make stuff up!**

**I hope you enjoyed it and just so you know, I've started on chapter 2, but obviously would like you to leave your reviews.**

**Thank you and have a wonderful day!**

**Love,**

**Sneakers6**


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